Randall made a fully left handed 1911. The barrel even had the appropiate twist. Does anyone make these any more? If not why couldn't a custom company like Baer or Wilson produce a few? Just curious. By the way I am a righty and I just thought it might make an interesting subject.
For the 1911 lefties.
- Thread starter Jonpod
- Start date
JP...The only 1911 I have seen like that is the aforementioned Randall, which was a complete mirror copy to the smallest detail. If you could just put a safety on the right side someone would have done it by now.
Why doesn't a custom maker make a lefty 1911...my guess would be COST and RETURN and for no other reason than that.
Why doesn't a custom maker make a lefty 1911...my guess would be COST and RETURN and for no other reason than that.
Jonpod, I'm a lefty who has carried a 1911 for about 25 years now. To my way of thinking the controls of a standard 1911 is very "left hand" user friendly, with the exception of the safety. I can operate the mag and slide releases with my trigger finger without shifting my grip and can do it faster than if the controls were on the right side.
As to the safety, I didn't go to an ambidextrous one untill just a couple of years ago. I swept the safety off with my left thumb on the draw, and got pretty quick with it. The ambi safety on my current carry pistol has the left side milled down to just a nub, so in a way you can have a right sided safety lever. You can make anything work for you, it just takes practice...lots of practice.
I kinda like to have a left handed Randall but just for the novelty, not for any real need.
As to the safety, I didn't go to an ambidextrous one untill just a couple of years ago. I swept the safety off with my left thumb on the draw, and got pretty quick with it. The ambi safety on my current carry pistol has the left side milled down to just a nub, so in a way you can have a right sided safety lever. You can make anything work for you, it just takes practice...lots of practice.
I kinda like to have a left handed Randall but just for the novelty, not for any real need.
Gopher .45
New member
I shoot my 1911 both left and right-handed. Except for the standard thumb safety, I agree with burrhead that the 1911 is really well setup for lefties. I have an ambi thumb safety and that clinches it.
As far as a totally left-handed (mirror) gun, it sounds like a great idea except for one thing - parts. Off the shelf parts won't fix some of the things when they break because many of your spare parts would have to be custom made. For example, the ejector, extractor, mag release, magazines to match the mag release, slide release, the spring gizmo between the slide release and thumb safety, grips, and of course the thumb safety.
As far as a totally left-handed (mirror) gun, it sounds like a great idea except for one thing - parts. Off the shelf parts won't fix some of the things when they break because many of your spare parts would have to be custom made. For example, the ejector, extractor, mag release, magazines to match the mag release, slide release, the spring gizmo between the slide release and thumb safety, grips, and of course the thumb safety.
i'm left handed and i think the main reason no one makes a left handed 1911 is that there is no reason. a true left handed 1911 would be quite expensive, both to produce and to purchase. add to that the parts issue Gopher .45 brought up. i own and carry a Kimber Ultra Carry. how did i make it left handed? i had an ambi safety installed. i've never had problems with brass either distracting me or hitting me from standard handguns. any other lefties feel that we have the advantage when it comes to ejecting mags? i can't even reach the mag button on my Ultra Carry when holding it in my right hand and i don't have tiny hands. i'm not sure there's a handgun i've held where i could. holding it in my left hand, i can reach it easily, quickly, and every time with my trigger or middle finger.
The left-handed 1911 was later available as the Falcon Portsider, then still later it was made by somebody else. Oly/Safari showed a lefty gun at the '97 NRA convention, but I've never seen a production model. Oly/Safari "1911's" are going to be marketed under the High Standard name next year, and the lefty model is supposed to be included. A lefty-only safety on an otherwise standard 1911 would require adding a separate plunger on the right side (or changing to the Star configuration, with the plungers/springs built into the safety and slide stop), changing the hammer and sear pins to right-to-left installation so the safety could retain them, and milling the hole, on the right side, for the boss that performs the actual safety function. A lot of work for no real benefit.
There are damned few 1911 parts that would work in both a right hand and a true left hand 1911. The cost of building the frame and slide and the rest of the parts would place the pistols out the price range of most shooters. Gun makers have to look at the total market and there is not enough of a market for a left handed 1911.
Special magazines would have to be made too. You could not convert a "normal" 1911 magazine to work in a left handed one. Back when I owned a pair of Randalls, it was kind of fun to hand a shooter a left hand magazine for him to use in his right hand 1911.
Special magazines would have to be made too. You could not convert a "normal" 1911 magazine to work in a left handed one. Back when I owned a pair of Randalls, it was kind of fun to hand a shooter a left hand magazine for him to use in his right hand 1911.
Gopher .45
New member
I am actually right hand dominant. When I shoot my 1911s left handed, I find that I can get a lot of things done with my index finger from releasing the slide, dropping a mag and pulling the trigger. Except for the standard right hand safety, I really do think the 1911 is a left hander's gun.
Oly made their left handed Renegade and the smaller 4 Star for only one year. When Oly told me that ver few were made (I'm guessing less than 2 dozen) I retired it in favor of a second hand Randall (how else do you do a proper John Woo?). Demand was so low that only one batch of frames and slides were made. Tried to get a letter of authenticity from them and sent them the $ too. Unfortunately, after records were destroyed in the great fire, no letter would be forthcoming and we'll never know how many were made (to its credit, Oly did refund my money - but I'd rather have the letter). If High Standard makes one next year, I suggest to all my fellow left handers (especially you guys who offered to buy my NIB Randall - yes, I have a NIB as well as a used SouthPaw) save now to buy one. Also consider spare parts including: safety, slide stop, bushing, ejector, extractor, sear spring and of course, magazines. If High Standard drops production, we'll have another scarce left handed handgun.
I should admit that the only thing I really want on any right handed 1911 is an ambidextrious safety. The right handed mag release works great for me (trigger finger) and as for slide stop, pull the slide with the right hand. Not to say we southpaws shouldn't spoil ourselves (I certainly do and think we're worth it), but it's not an impossibility with the old 1911.
I should admit that the only thing I really want on any right handed 1911 is an ambidextrious safety. The right handed mag release works great for me (trigger finger) and as for slide stop, pull the slide with the right hand. Not to say we southpaws shouldn't spoil ourselves (I certainly do and think we're worth it), but it's not an impossibility with the old 1911.
shooting stuff from you?